[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6059074,"mediaKeyId","3295657-08700a0250166ea6d5fe3a6ce7d7c472","parentId",3295657,"title","Council shifts stormwater specialist pay to general fund for remainder of 2025 amid low fund balance","audioSeconds",289,"startMs",275000,"endMs",564000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3295657-08700a0250166ea6d5fe3a6ce7d7c472&start=275&end=564","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3295657-08700a0250166ea6d5fe3a6ce7d7c472/thumbnail_275000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6059074/Johnson-County/Indiana/Council-shifts-stormwater-specialist-pay-to-general-fund-for-remainder-of-2025-amid-low-fund-balance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6059074-6395b37f81cc9d88fdb38f32e2652c1a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775683558&Signature=JBh6xTznm0cPQR8P5GB1jDoXA-S67ZGWBCpSEumSoQOUnaKhNvVelNGRIFEjH4Vm2uV313j2GA7bC3L4EzSfKlvocP6AqdlJm-HklxbgxdJtt6L1W42~5pz1EijGAoUeSRkXha3sO23uI-R2FqGy75iJIRSRSzwheu~nPM4U75iAqVrKXUDFvfRqSSdifJYrh7rNUVS4iTbk4qQX1tBZQu7JZ7dnpm9hTsNHkfdce8VN-mArsZ2fgSKt0-kloGhubtQLc7UEJI1VB1gHLMyV5megwNGTXgb1tnAIJHiQMA2PKC21yyZ6K8ZsuljCamn-JLBUaF4-1GS40JPkfOvrmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Johnson County IN","date","2025-05-13T15:37:32Z","article","The Johnson County Council unanimously approved moving the subdivision inspector and stormwater specialist salary from the stormwater fund to the county general fund for the remainder of 2025, after Planning and Zoning staff told the council the stormwater fund has operated at a low cash balance for several months.

Michelle Hansard, director of Planning and Zoning, said the stormwater fund is a self-funded revolving fund that has run on a low cash balance for the last three months. She told council members the affected position has been a split role historically and noted that starting in 2020 the position’s pay had been charged fully to the stormwater fund even though it is shared with subdivision inspection duties. Hansard said the department can absorb the shift within its other budget items so “it’s actually no additional appropriation for our overall budget.”

Hansard explained a recent state bill affecting stormwater revenue will give the county time to adjust operations: “For 2025 and 2026, if we leave it in the general fund, it gives us enough time to adjust our procedures and policies that in 2027, we should have a better line of how that position needs to be paid out of. And it will go back a portion of that will go back to that plan.”

Council members asked whether the fund would be expected to support the salary again and sought a timeline for returning the position to fee-based funding. Council Member Graves and others said they want the council to be kept informed when fee-funded positions are temporarily moved to general-fund pay so the council can watch for a plan to return them when revenues permit.

The council approved a combined motion to accept agenda items C‑2 and C‑3 (salary funding adjustments related to Planning and Zoning) after Hansard confirmed the change would be effective with the first June paycheck. Council Member Mallers moved to approve C‑2 and C‑3 and Council Member Bates seconded; the motion passed by voice vote.

Clarifying points recorded during the discussion: county staff characterized the stormwater fund as a self-supporting revolving fund with recent low cash balances; the requested change reassigns existing budgeted salary costs to the general fund for the remainder of 2025; no net increase in overall county appropriation was required for the shift; and the change’s effective date is the first June payroll.

Council members directed staff to return with longer-term plans to restore fee-based funding or otherwise clarify how the position will be funded in 2027 and beyond.

Action: items C‑2 and C‑3 were approved as presented; the salary line for the subdivision inspector/stormwater specialist will be paid from the general fund for the remainder of 2025, effective with the first June paycheck.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Council Meeting 5-12-2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Johnson County Council approved moving the subdivision inspector and stormwater specialist salary from the stormwater fund to the county general fund for the remainder of 2025 after Planning and Zoning staff reported the stormwater fund has been operating at a low cash balance.","taxTitle","Johnson County, Indiana","taxId",4101,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6059079,"Johnson County council sets combined health director role at director pay after board seeks higher salary",3086,511000,3597000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3295657-08700a0250166ea6d5fe3a6ce7d7c472&start=511&end=3597","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3295657-08700a0250166ea6d5fe3a6ce7d7c472/thumbnail_511000.jpg","/articles/6059079/Johnson-County/Indiana/Johnson-County-council-sets-combined-health-director-role-at-director-pay-after-board-seeks-higher-salary","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6059079-b18842508777018a4a67f89cf5c4bdb2/orig.mp4?Expires=1775683558&Signature=DUiGt8ThHa7XfaHOQTxzmO1eo713qpO-PJpo7~svkGUmPnCvwPt2eDCWFCH-YvMfmA8QqaK-vSmKkf6~9ZDxB7QfPxauMXvt~bB7Ojeeo~JiLy0hYvr0Cv6e7ojOpNDMi6RMvtgxBfpefu4snt7TNSj1-xwnwJGBdFxCntvtfwI~nt7td9zNzOkUOCKPUR2MgpOafDFQbuJN5OK5RiyETk9su31r1w5avk8L0QG07aGlne7sf~PGvVnvO0DmE78cOy6nC~Dj8qwTVRaKPG4bnbcTbSu--EmL2rvoHdmygPfG-wiixsLBvKOtEKURYWjgFNQAEm~qI6Hw41Qpqz0I4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Johnson County Council voted 4–3 on May 12 to accept the Board of Health’s proposal to combine the county health director and the public health preparedness coordinator into a single position and to set that position’s pay at the Health Department director’s approved 2025 budgeted salary, approximately $88,593, effective July 1, 2025.

The vote follows weeks of discussion about how the two roles had been paid previously and a Board of Health proposal that listed a minimum yearly salary of $116,344.43 for a combined role. Council members and the county’s health officer discussed the operational and succession risks of combining the two duties while also noting the county’s growth and future need to separate them again.

Jeff Qualls, Johnson County health officer, told the council the dual duties include emergency response planning and preparedness functions: “I always say that’s the person who’s has us ready for our, train derailment should that day come.” Qualls said the board has “opted to unite these positions into 1 role with 1 salary” but also told members he expects the positions will likely need to be separated again as the county grows.

Qualls described how the combination evolved: when the previous director moved up to the director role, the emergency-preparedness duties remained with the same person because no immediate replacement was available. He said the combined duties have been handled by an experienced employee “for a long time” but acknowledged that “as the demands of each position increase … I don’t see it being, plausible or effective” to keep them together indefinitely.

Council members pressed for a plan and timeline for separating the duties. Qualls said he would not put an exact date on separation but estimated “within the next 4 years and probably sooner.” Other council members urged earlier succession planning and cross-training so the workload would not rest on a single person indefinitely.

The Board of Health and county staff also cited an outside salary review. Council members noted the county’s consultant (referred to in the meeting as WIS) recommended a midpoint for a combined role near $114,000; the Board’s original combined-role proposal sought a minimum of $116,344.43. Council discussion repeatedly returned to whether the council’s role is to set salaries and whether the Board of Health has authority to combine positions under state statute; legal staff told the council that state statute provides the board authority to set positions but that the council sets appropriations and can set the salary it will fund.

After discussion, Council Member Grama moved to accept agenda item C‑5 (the Board of Health proposal to combine the positions) but to pay the combined position at the Health Department director’s current 2025 budgeted salary of approximately $88,593, effective July 1, 2025; the motion was seconded by Council Member Chrismer. The motion carried 4–3. A subsequent motion to reconsider the council’s vote failed, so the council’s action stands.

Council members and county legal staff noted practical implications: the vote means the combined duties remain assigned to the single employee but the additional pay the employee had been receiving from a second line item will be removed. Council members repeatedly said the matter can be revisited during the normal budget cycle if the Board of Health returns with a different staffing proposal or salary request.

The council and the Board of Health also discussed operational consequences if the Board moves to separate the roles before the 2026 budget process: the Board would present separate positions and salary requests during the regular budgeting cycle. Several council members urged the Board to develop a succession and training plan so that emergency-preparedness responsibilities do not rely solely on a single individual.

What remains unclear from the meeting record: the precise current combined total the director had been receiving from the two pay lines (board discussion referenced figures in the $124,000–$127,000 range but did not produce a single confirmed final combined total on the record), and the Board of Health’s formal timeline for separating the duties beyond the verbal expectation of “within the next 4 years.” The council directed that any salary changes beyond the director’s existing budgeted amount be addressed in the regular budget process.

Council action: the combined position was approved by a 4–3 roll-call vote; the council set funded pay equal to the Health Department director’s 2025 budgeted salary (about $88,593) and removed the additional pay source(s) that had previously funded the preparedness coordinator duties.

For now, the duties remain assigned as a combined position; the Board of Health and health officer stated an intention to split the roles in the future and were asked to present a plan and timeline during budget or earlier if they return with a different request.","The Johnson County Council voted 4–3 on May 12 to accept the Board of Health’s proposal to combine the county health director and the public health preparedness coordinator into a single position and to fund it at the Health Department director’s 2025 budgeted salary (about $88,593), effective July 1, 2025.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6059069,"Johnson County Public Library pauses White River branch renovation as state law changes library funding",619,3600000,4219000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3295657-08700a0250166ea6d5fe3a6ce7d7c472&start=3600&end=4219","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3295657-08700a0250166ea6d5fe3a6ce7d7c472/thumbnail_3600000.jpg","/articles/6059069/Johnson-County/Indiana/Johnson-County-Public-Library-pauses-White-River-branch-renovation-as-state-law-changes-library-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6059069-decc4b3f60d3a28932ee862b92f04814/orig.mp4?Expires=1775683558&Signature=m7iuQ87gN6RBjDDrLQVFNJptLGIv45ADC7TzX7vl1sTAEbYFyB3VloOmjjqkdBn~ff09K0VvUJ9XlVdJXlG5CL-KvnZ~oIHqwsEfcoYALmJNsE9EkOHugjAoCYblFeuLe2k4bcO8DlI8~bzkoCkAmtxKMrcFAybbhl4ZnjVkZuKaP1d43sNLpfMZj0RCP1rmU0GUZUQYdv5XDQQ0Qq~flt2bWGMcsbzLjkx30ItINXZK4sZMWyAkRN52WOMzu05cbIwIdTgqWVv4agehfkMiDB7nUHnuEKFvNJHBxQGGcQsj9KrPlU8qV6B83jSqHx2jspZG4wovFfrfGEvyc45~VQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lisa Littner, director of the Johnson County Public Library, told the Johnson County Council on May 12 that the planned renovation and slight expansion of the White River branch is on pause because recent state legislation (referred to in the presentation as Senate Enrolled Act 1) requires the library district to reassess funding and how local income tax (LIT) distributions will be handled going forward.

“Tonight’s presentation was planned at one time to be the White River branch update,” Littner said. “But with recent, state legislation, we are putting this project on pause.” Littner said a Franklin College student survey of almost 300 local residents found the top three priorities for the White River site would be a dynamic early-childhood learning space, increased comfortable seating, and—unexpectedly—a nature trail in woods behind the branch.

Littner reviewed how JCPL is funded and why she said the pause matters: roughly half of JCPL’s budget comes from property taxes and about 40% comes from local income taxes. She warned the distribution method for local income tax will change beginning in 2028 and that all library districts in the county will need to petition the county council for LIT distribution. “That is 40% of our budget,” Littner told the council, and if LIT is reduced the library could face staff layoffs, reduced hours, branch closures or cuts to programs and purchases.

The presentation summarized core services the library provides to residents, including early-childhood programs, STEAM camps and support for home-school families, outreach to older residents (including an AARP tax-prep partnership), circulating nontraditional items (museum and pool passes, tools and musical instruments), meeting-room services, free basic notary and free internet access. Littner reported JCPL had about 410,000 visits and 1.3 million items borrowed in the previous year, and she described the library’s fundraising and foundation support for special projects such as author events and potential capital improvements.

Littner asked the council to note the pause and said the library will need to engage the council in the petition process for local income tax distributions in 2027 for implementation in 2028. She offered to provide tours and further details to council members and said the library will continue planning while awaiting clarity on state-level funding changes.

Action requested/prompted: informational update; no council vote on the White River project was taken. Library staff said they will pause the capital project and monitor fiscal and statutory developments, and will bring any formal petition or funding requests to the council as required by law.

Contact: Littner invited council members to request tours and follow-up contact for details on the White River plans and the library’s budget projections.","Johnson County Public Library director Lisa Littner told the council May 12 that planned renovation and modest expansion of the White River branch is on pause because of Senate Enrolled Act 1 (SEA 1). She warned that a change to local income tax distribution set to take effect in 2028 could remove 40% of the library’s budget and would require the","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council shifts stormwater specialist pay to general fund for remainder of 2025 amid low fund balance

Johnson County council sets combined health director role at director pay after board seeks higher salary

Johnson County Public Library pauses White River branch renovation as state law changes library funding